Use of "Then" in titles

The question came up around my office, and quick look through stylebooks offers no reference, so I turn to you:

What are the guidelines for using the word "then" in front of titles?

For example, in an upcoming story where someone looks back on a key moment in their career, he refers to being interviewed for a job by three people who are in different positions than they are now.

You had six one-hour interviews with people like (previous title) Bill Jones, (previous title) John Smith and (previous title) Will James.

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All three men -- Jones, Smith and James -- are famous enough and have moved on to different roles. Do you need to put "then" in front of each of their previous titles? Are there any hard and fast rules?